Airlines debunk NNPC’s allegation over non-payment for Jet A1

 … as NNPC assures of supply of product

Domestic airlines operating in Nigeria have debunked allegation made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) earlier last week of their inability to pay for aviation fuel.

This is just as the Corporation said it had supplied airlines 45 million litres of aviation fuel as promised.

Obuke Oyibotha, media consultant to Med-View Airline, told BusinessDay that Med-View was not owing fuel marketers for aviation fuel, as the model adopted by the marketers even before now was the model of pay-as-you-go and they had complied with the requirements.

“We see no reason why scarcity should persist if NNPC has supplied aviation fuel as they say. What I am sure of is that we are not owing any fuel marketer,” Oyibotha said.

Beyond just the hazy weather, the scarcity is also contributing to the incessant flight delays and cancellations across airports in Nigeria, findings show.

The spokesperson for another airline, who craved anonymity, said “Nigeria cannot rule out some tactics in the part of the oil marketers, but the NNPC has no right to speak on behalf of the marketers.

“If a particular airline owes, they should name the airline but as of early December 2016, marketers have been doing cash and carry. The marketers import and sell at their own price. The marketers do cash and carry because if they don’t, dollar might change.

“Even when the money is available some of the marketer will not have Jet A1. The situation is slightly fine now but not totally okay, as recently, there was no fuel in Port Harcourt. NNPC should put their refineries in order and refine locally if they want fuel scarcity to be a thing of the past.” 

Ndu Ughamadu, group general manager, public affairs, NNPC, said the Corporation had already supplied airlines 45 million litres of aviation fuel, as promised. 

It would be recalled that last week, Maikanti Baru, group managing director, NNPC, clarified that NNPC had taken steps to ensure adequate supply of the product with the importation of over 45 million litres.

Baru however said the challenge had more to do with the inability of airlines to pay for the product upon the introduction of a cash-and-carry policy by marketers, on account of the huge amount they were being owed by the airlines.